Deb on the Web

You've missed so much!

Finally I can bring you all to France.  I was beginning to worry you might miss the whole country!  Being in a spot with a connection was harder than I expected.
I am at a winery for dinner this evening that had wifi so I thought I should drop in a hello.  However, the time is not appropriate for photo uploading.
Highlights have been the wines (of course), the cathedral in Riems with the Marc Chagall windows (really amazing).  Right now the amazing thing is the olive tapenade I'm eating while looking out at a vineyard in the Rhone valley.
the weather has been cold but heck we are in France!  Who cares!!!!
More later--I have to go through the 148 emails right now.
Truly, I do wish you all were here to share this with us.

Barcelona

Here we are in lovely Spain!  We have been eating so much seafood!  All the wonderful goodies that don't ever make it to the West Coast (as in baby squid and razor fish).   
Our luggage decided it needed a little Spaten break I guess.  We arrived here at 2:30 in the afternoon the other day.  Our luggage joined us around 11p the same night.  We kept up some weird travel problems including a sprint through the airport in Frankfurt and a very serious search of my person and purse before the sprint.  After a crappy first dinner we remembered that our travels never go well until we visit a catholic church and light a candle.   Who knows, that through back to our catholic ancestors seems to work for us.  We have been having a wonderful time since then. 
Today is our last day here.  We visited the Joan Miro museum.  Incredible artist!!  I was so inspired in many ways.  I think I saw at least 5 knitting projects in my head.  Hopefully I can figure out how to get them on  paper and create them!
Off to drink some coffe con leche and read a spanish novel--The Club Dumas (--Deb you would like this one).  More later!   check out this cleaned up guy with no cast.  He does still need to be a bit careful with that arm.  There have been a few sudden shocking hollers when he forgets.  Those are right there with mine for the finger nail that is ripped half way through my finger.  That one gives a little pull on a constant basis.  yow!

Thanks for coming on vacation with me:)

A last US post

I thought I'd post one last time before we board.  Unfortunately, we should have boarded 2 1/2 hours ago.  We are flying into Frankfort and will miss our connection to Barcelona.  Also, they screwed up and don't have us sitting together.  But hey they bought us lunch at the airport!  If this is the worst that can happen during the trip I'll take it all right now:)
We volunteered to go on a different flight for which they offered us $1200 eu.  But they decided they could fit us all on after all. 
Oops, gotta go....see you in Barcelona:)  weeeeeee

Gifts

It has been a long couple of days so this gift from the husband was very sweet I have wanted an i-pod for a while, but I couldn't really say I need one.  This is a classic and will be full of podcasts, audio books and music for the trip.  This way his nano can have "his" music and "hers" can have things we both want to listen to;)
And another gift--a finished hat now traveling to my friend
Tonight is the last night of work for the husband before vacation!  Now that I am not really working (well not with schedules) I don't get that thrill of the last shift.
We are heading up the hill tomorrow for a couple of days before catching a plane on Monday.  I am pretty much ready to go.  I have clothes out if not packed, a book chosen (I always chose a couple more at Powell's out at the airport) and soon will have the ipod filled.  The only thing left (besides completely cleaning up here) is to pick out a few knitting projects.  I have my "Spins" project, but haven't decided if all the projects will be socks.  I am thinking a few hats may be comings along and possibly a scarf project.  All to be looked at this weekend.

And Lost--I knew that would be Michael on the boat!

And those photos

By having another day I actually have a couple more photos to add to this post.
Let's talk garden first--I thought I'd gotten a photo of my peas ready to climb up the trellis (nice that no one pulled it down last year) and one of the just planted pansies.  But alas you will have to use your imagination.  Here instead are the starts that now reside in different parts of the garden. 
I just love violas and pansies.  I add a few in as plants and started some seeds.  In the starting to pop up from last year category the chervil is coming right along.  I love a bit in salads and it's always good sauteed with a little butter over cheese ravioli.  The parsley, marjoram, sage and thyme also survived the massive amounts of snow we've had this year.  Look at this poor rosemary It had so much snow piled on it!  It is mainly alive just flat.
One bright spot of Spring in the house as it really poured the last couple days

And on to knitting--
Here is the finished stole (not finished in 7 days, but 10 wasn't bad) This is a gift for a very helpful Italian friend.  I loved knitting with the Woolen Rabbit lace weight and the drop stitch pattern was fun (although I highly recommend addy turbo lace needles), but I just don't think I would ever wear this stole myself.  The drop stitches kept catching on my ring and had to be worked back into the pattern.  Luckily my friend is not a big jewelry wearer.
This was the next project on the dock A hat pattern (Windward) from Going Straight--knitted hats.  That is a ravelry link--here is the download link  Yep, the entire book was downloaded.  I love that idea--I've only been printing the patterns as I make them and I love that I can print the written portion and not the charted pages.  Yarn is Lime and Violet Sasquatch in "Cha Cha".  That has been sitting in my stash awaiting the perfect project for over a year.  Here is a close up of the pattern  All the patterns in this book are knit side to side on straight needles.  Here are some progress shots This was started with a provisional cast on for grafting at the end.  Here she is waiting to be grafted.  This is a gift for a friend that recently found out she has breast cancer.  These are her colors, but I realized part way through the pick was more than appropriate.  I wanted this to be a light Spring hat, but I do think it might look better with a heavier yarn. 
Also slated to get finished before we leave town (5 days woooo!) is the main portion of the Icelandic shawl The white section will be finished soon (decreases by 8 st every other row).  I will leave it there for a while as you then pick up along the outside edge for the final portion.  The pattern stitches have given me all kind of ideas for other knits.
I came back into town this morning to a perfect in plane knit project!  My first installment has arrived for the The Verve sock yarn from Unique Sheep is really Springy!  The pattern is perfect for a multi-color project and I love that there is a separate sock key chain project as well:)  That is in the Leili yarn from the ladies.  In addition to the projects there are needle protectors (in socks of course) and you might spy a few jelly bellies sneaking in (to my mouth).

Enough for today!

Posts without photos

...just aren't as fun.  I have been waiting until I get reunited with my camera cord to post (tomorrow), but I  realize it has been a while so this is a shout out to everyone that checks in with me here.
I have finished knits to show, progress knits and a new knit project as well.  The last few days have been spent in the garden.  It was so nice for a couple of days I got quite a bit done.  Why a garden when I'm traveling this year?  Well the main seeds and plants I just got in the ground and greenhouse are chard, spinach, lettuces and peas.  They will all be ready to eat when we get home from this trip.  My mil left me some seeds to start for her so that when they return in May she will have a head start on her summer garden.  And a few items that will be waiting in the ground when we return in the fall--potaotes and carrots.  It is just so nice to have a garden to putter in.  Photos tomorrow.
I leave you with a little meme.  This floated among my local good friends the last week.  And I learned at least one thing new from each of them!  Instead of offering the answers I suggest you copy it and circulate it via email to your good friends:)

Welcome to the 2008 edition of getting to know your friends.
What you are supposed to do is copy (not forward) this
entire e-mail and paste it onto a new e-mail that you'll send.
Change all the answers so they apply to you, and then send this to your
friends including the person who sent it to you. The theory is that you will
learn a lot of little things about your friends that you might not
have known.

1. What time did you get up this morning?
2. Diamonds or pearls?
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
4. Favorite TV show?
5. What do you usually have for breakfast?
6. What kind of soap do you use?
7. What is your middle name?
8. What food do you dislike?
10. What kind of car do you drive?
11. Favorite sandwich?
12. What characteristic do you despise?
13. Favorite item of clothing?
14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation?
15. What color is your bathroom?
16. Favorite brand of clothing?
17. Where would you retire to?
18. What was your most recent memorable birthday?
19. Furthest place you are sending this?
20. Who do you least expect to send this back to you?
21. Person you expect to send it back first?
22. When is your birthday?
23. What is your favorite scent?
24. Are you a morning person or a night person?
25. What is your shoe size?
26. Pets?
27. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us?
28. What did you want to be when you were little?
29. How are you today?
30. What is your favorite candy?
31. What is your favorite flower?
32. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
33. What church do you attend?
34. What is your full name?
35. What are you listening to right now?
36. What was the last thing you ate?
37. Do you wish on stars?
38. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
39. How is the weather right now?
40. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
41. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
42. Favorite restaurant?
43. Hair Color?
44. Siblings?
45. Favorite day of the year?
46. What was your favorite toy as a child?
47. Summer or winter?
48. Hugs or kisses?
49. Chocolate or Vanilla?
50. Do you want your friends to email you back?
51. When was the last time you cried?
52. What is under your bed?
53. What friend have you had the longest?
54. What did you do last night?
55. Favorite room in your house?
56. What are you afraid of?
57. Plain, buttered, or salted Popcorn?

Summer plans

I realize it is only March, but I am looking ahead this year.  Not that I won't be living in the moment every day of my vacation:)
What I'm talking about is trying to decide on a language school for this Summer.  Here are the two schools I am looking at.  Both are in Siena.  Both are structured similarly.  One is a bit more expensive.  hmmm
My plan for the summer is that the husband and I will take classes in the morning together.  He will then go off (after some wonderful panini) to deal with the wine business.  I haven't decided if I want to take afternoon classes as well or if I am going to be spending the rest of the day in a garden (depending on where we are able to rent) or will I be able to apprentice with an old nonna to learn some wonderful cooking techniques ( I may be done with the kitchen for now but who knows when I'll miss it).  It is all very exciting!  And very unknown.  I am definitely a planner and like to know what's going to be happening...

Here are some photos of the wonderful package I received from Wanda a couple days ago.  She was my partner for the "Spa package" for Special Swap.  Thank you again Wanda!!  I have been using some of the products and love them:)  The yarn is Aussi sock--Atlantic Weaves, from Oasis Yarn.  I really like the colors of this new to me sock yarn.  It feels like it will be a very comfortable sock.
This unfortunately has to be my last round of Special Swap.  I am going to be so busy with travel that I would worry I couldn't get it together.  I have loved getting to know people through this very intimate kind of swap!  Lynne is such a creative and generous hostess too:)

Summer plans

I realize it is only March, but I am looking ahead this year.  Not that I won't be living in the moment every day of my vacation:)
What I'm talking about is trying to decide on a language school for this Summer.  Here are the two schools I am looking at.  Both are in Siena.  Both are structured similarly.  One is a bit more expensive.  hmmm
My plan for the summer is that the husband and I will take classes in the morning together.  He will then go off (after some wonderful panini) to deal with the wine business.  I haven't decided if I want to take afternoon classes as well or if I am going to be spending the rest of the day in a garden (depending on where we are able to rent) or will I be able to apprentice with an old nonna to learn some wonderful cooking techniques ( I may be done with the kitchen for now but who knows when I'll miss it).  It is all very exciting!  And very unknown.  I am definitely a planner and like to know what's going to be happening...

Here are some photos of the wonderful package I received from Wanda a couple days ago.  She was my partner for the "Spa package" for Special Swap.  Thank you again Wanda!!  I have been using some of the products and love them:)  The yarn is Aussi sock--Atlantic Weaves, from Oasis Yarn.  I really like the colors of this new to me sock yarn.  It feels like it will be a very comfortable sock.
This unfortunately has to be my last round of Special Swap.  I am going to be so busy with travel that I would worry I couldn't get it together.  I have loved getting to know people through this very intimate kind of swap!  Lynne is such a creative and generous hostess too:)

Half

Well, here we are at the seventh day--my self imposed due date for the shawl.  And no, it is not finished.  I am actually over half finished, but lace always takes longer than I expect.  I think this is especially noticeable having just knit a scarf on size #7 needles (that went so fast!).
Half is the story of my life today.  My apartment is about half way packed up (a little under that actually).
I have about half the research done for our new business.
I am half ready to start traveling--just bought new luggage, but I haven't decided what to put inside.
And I'm about half way finished with this post.   hahaha

Today I have goals of finishing up the kitchen packing.  This is a big feat as I have a ton of glassware, tea accessories and just plain stuff from 11 yr of living up here.
I realized the other day this is by far the longest I've lived anywhere since my childhood home.  And when it was time to clean that house out I kind of missed the boat and all of my childhood was sold in the estate sale!  So this really is a big job for me.
I don't know if I've mentioned why I need to pack right now.  When we return from our vacation we are hoping to quickly vacate the apartments and rent them out since we will be living in Italy for the Summer.  We'll just make our Mt House the main residence.  I have never lived fully out of Portland.  We'll see if I can go through with it.